University of Memphis Athletics
Photo by: Matthew A. Smith
Softball welcomes six players on National Signing Day
Nov 14, 2019 | Softball
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The University of Memphis softball program and head coach Natalie Poole announce the addition of six players in the 2020 class Thursday afternoon. The Tigers welcome LaNya Bates, Taylor Broddick, Mia Greenzweig, Olivia Johnson, Emma Ponder and Hallie Siems to Memphis.
"I am so very excited about this signing class and can't wait for them to get to campus next fall," said Poole. "These are athletes that I have watched grow in the game over the last four years and am looking forward to their immediate impact. Each player brings something we need to this program."
LaNya Bates
Outfield | 5-6
Grand Blanc, Michigan | Grand Blanc High School
Bates comes to Memphis from Grand Blanc, Michigan where she was a four-year letterwinner in softball and cheerleading at Grand Blanc High School. On the diamond, Bates earned First-Team All-State honors in 2019 and an honorable mention nod in 2018. She has also earned All-District, All-Region and All-Conference for three-straight seasons in softball and cheer.
In 2019, Bates helped lead her team to the District Championship and a 27-10 overall record. As a junior, she finished with a .600 batting average, 13 doubles, 13 triples and only two strikeouts at the plate. She enters her senior season with 193 career hits.
Bates has led her team offensively since her freshman year of high school. She has also been named the Al Serra Player of the Week for Genesee County as well as the MLive Player of the Week. As a freshman, she was named the Grand Blanc Athlete of the Year.
On her cheerleading squad, Bates was named Second-Team All-State in 2018 and honorable mention in 2019. Her cheer squad had a top three finish at state with a top 10 ranking overall.
Coach Poole on Bates
LaNya Bates brings a ton of experience in the outfield. She covers a ton of ground. She also brings speed on the bases and aggressiveness at the plate.
Taylor Broddick
Infielder | 5-3
Madisonville, La. | Mandeville High School
Hailing from Madisonville, Louisiana, Broddick comes to Memphis from Mandeville High School where she helped lead her team to a 20-6 record last season. For the last three seasons, Broddick has been named First-Team All-District.
In 2018, Broddick carried a .458 batting average with a .500 on base average. She has been a member of several club teams, including LA VooDoo for two years, Georgia Impact for one season and Marucci Patriots for two years.
Last summer, Broddick carried a .359 on base percentage with her club team.
At her high school, Broddick is a member of Fellowship of Christian Athletes and has been a member of the honor roll for all of her high school years. She enjoys cooking, kayaking and hiking.
Coach Poole on Broddick
Taylor Broddick is a quick utility player with experience in the middle infield and the outfield. Her versatility and athleticism will be a great addition to our team.
Mia Greenzweig
Infielder | 5-6
Arlington, Texas | Mansfield Summit High School
Greenzweig comes to Memphis from Arlington, Texas and Mansfield Summit High School. As a two-sport athlete, Greenzweig has earned letters in softball and basketball. She is a two-time First-Team All-District selection as well as the Most Valuable Defensive Player in her district.
Last season, Greenzweig finished with a .531 batting average with 34 hits, 11 RBIs, four triples, two home runs and 13 stolen bases. For her career, she is a .490 hitter with 88 runs scored, 111 hits, 51 stolen bases and four home runs.
During her time at Mansfield Summit, Greenzweig posted a .597 batting average which was the highest batting average at her high school.
She is a member of the Impact Gold Jimmy Middlebrook 84-18U team where she helped lead her squad to a 25-12-1 overall record. In club ball, Greenzweig has posted a .667 batting average, a .750 on-base percentage and a 1.333 slugging percentage.
Coach Poole on Greenzweig
In addition to Taylor, Mia Greenzweig is a versatile athlete with experience in the middle infield and the outfield. Mia will be a great addition who is quick with power at the plate.
Olivia Johnson
Pitcher | 5-8
Dry Prong, La. | Holy Savior Menard High School
Johnson joins the Tigers from Dry Prong, Louisiana and Holy Savior Menard High School. A dual-sport athlete, Johnson was a cross country runner in addition to a softball player. In softball, Johnson led her squad to a runner-up finish in 2016, 2018 and 2019.
Last season, Holy Savior Menard was led to a 22-11 overall record by Johnson who finished with First-Team All-District, All-Region and All-State honors. In addition to her accolades as a junior, Johnson finished with First-Team All-District, All-Region and All-State honors as a sophomore and First-Team All-District, Second-Team All-Region and Honorable Mention All-State honors as a freshman.
In the circle, Johnson finished with a 19-6 record last season with 292 strikeouts and a 1.69 ERA. At the plate, she hit .477 with five home runs. In her career, she has launched 21 home runs and has a career-high batting average of .516.
Johnson competed for the Wichita Mustangs two seasons, the Louisiana VooDoo one season and Impact Gold Middlebrook two seasons. In 2015, her club squad was the ASA Southern Nationals Champions. In 2018, her team finished in fourth place at the PGF Nationals. She carried a 2.01 ERA at the plate in club ball last season.
Coach Poole on Johnson
Olivia throws with excellent arm speed and command. She changes speeds well and has excellent work ethic. She will bring maturity and experience in being responsible for her respective teams' successes.
Emma Ponder
Utility | 5-6
Fairview, Texas | McKinney High School
Ponder comes to Memphis from Fairview, Texas and McKinney High School. In 2019, she earned second-team honors in 6-9A at catcher and overall is a three-time 6-6A Honorable Mention catcher.
From 2010-19, Ponder was a member of Team Mizuno Impulse before competing for Texas Glory in 2019. Her Team Mizuno Impulse won a championship during the 2016-17 season.
Last season in club ball, Ponder hit .341 with an on-base percentage of .429.
In addition to softball, Ponder is involved with her high school's Personal Training Program as well as HOSA, FCA and starting in 2016, she is a Special Olympics volunteer.
Coach Poole on Ponder
Emma has a good arm behind the plate, and she has excellent power at the plate.
Hallie Siems
Pitcher | 5-9
Stuttgart, Arkansas | Stuttgart High School
Siems, a native of Stuttgart, Arkansas, comes to Memphis after leading her Stuttgart High School squad to a 27-5 overall record last season. A dual-sport athlete, Siems has lettered in tennis in addition to softball.
In softball, Siems has helped lead her teams to a semifinal and a quarterfinal finish in the state tournament. She has also been named the Rookie of the Year as a freshman and All-Conference and All-State the last three years.
Siems has thrown multiple no-hitters and one perfect game. Her career-high in strikeouts is 14 in a five-inning game. Last season, Siems struckout 273 batters in 135.1 innings pitched. She also hit .464 at the plate.
Her career statistics stand at a 1.44 ERA with 672 strikeouts in 436.2 innings pitched. She has held opponents to just a .158 batting average. At the plate, she has a career batting average of .458.
Siems has been a member of multiple club teams including the Tulsa Elite Jaramillo 18U team. Last season, she helped lead her club team to a 27-10-1 overall record.
Coach Poole on Siems
Hallie is a strong pitcher. She moves the ball well and has great arm speed. She has a good presence on the mound and excellent command of her pitches. Much like Olivia Johnson, Hallie brings maturity and experience in being responsible for her respective teams' successes.
"This entire group of student-athletes has a desire to be champions, has excellent work ethic, and are successful in the classroom," added Poole. "They will fit in with the culture we have created here at Memphis and help us continue to grow as a program."
"I am so very excited about this signing class and can't wait for them to get to campus next fall," said Poole. "These are athletes that I have watched grow in the game over the last four years and am looking forward to their immediate impact. Each player brings something we need to this program."
LaNya Bates
Outfield | 5-6
Grand Blanc, Michigan | Grand Blanc High School
Join us #TigerNation in welcoming LaNya Bates to the #TigerFam!
— Memphis Softball (@MemphisSoftball) November 13, 2019
🔹Four-year letterwinner in softball and cheer
🔹Hit .600 with 13 2B, 13 3B and only ✌️ Ks at the plate last year
🔹Has 193 career hits going into this year
Welcome to the 901, LaNya!#GoTigersGo pic.twitter.com/g0dER9n4l3
Bates comes to Memphis from Grand Blanc, Michigan where she was a four-year letterwinner in softball and cheerleading at Grand Blanc High School. On the diamond, Bates earned First-Team All-State honors in 2019 and an honorable mention nod in 2018. She has also earned All-District, All-Region and All-Conference for three-straight seasons in softball and cheer.
In 2019, Bates helped lead her team to the District Championship and a 27-10 overall record. As a junior, she finished with a .600 batting average, 13 doubles, 13 triples and only two strikeouts at the plate. She enters her senior season with 193 career hits.
Bates has led her team offensively since her freshman year of high school. She has also been named the Al Serra Player of the Week for Genesee County as well as the MLive Player of the Week. As a freshman, she was named the Grand Blanc Athlete of the Year.
On her cheerleading squad, Bates was named Second-Team All-State in 2018 and honorable mention in 2019. Her cheer squad had a top three finish at state with a top 10 ranking overall.
Coach Poole on Bates
LaNya Bates brings a ton of experience in the outfield. She covers a ton of ground. She also brings speed on the bases and aggressiveness at the plate.
Taylor Broddick
Infielder | 5-3
Madisonville, La. | Mandeville High School
Next we want to welcome Taylor Broddick to the #TigerFam!
— Memphis Softball (@MemphisSoftball) November 13, 2019
🔹 Three-time First-Team All-District selection
🔹 Carried a .458 batting average in 2018
🔹 Member of FCA and has been on the honor roll all throughout high school
Welcome to the 901, Taylor!#GoTigersGo pic.twitter.com/ViZkTBbtNU
Hailing from Madisonville, Louisiana, Broddick comes to Memphis from Mandeville High School where she helped lead her team to a 20-6 record last season. For the last three seasons, Broddick has been named First-Team All-District.
In 2018, Broddick carried a .458 batting average with a .500 on base average. She has been a member of several club teams, including LA VooDoo for two years, Georgia Impact for one season and Marucci Patriots for two years.
Last summer, Broddick carried a .359 on base percentage with her club team.
At her high school, Broddick is a member of Fellowship of Christian Athletes and has been a member of the honor roll for all of her high school years. She enjoys cooking, kayaking and hiking.
Coach Poole on Broddick
Taylor Broddick is a quick utility player with experience in the middle infield and the outfield. Her versatility and athleticism will be a great addition to our team.
Mia Greenzweig
Infielder | 5-6
Arlington, Texas | Mansfield Summit High School
We're excited to announce that Mia Greenzweig is joining the #TigerFam!
— Memphis Softball (@MemphisSoftball) November 14, 2019
🔹 Hit .531 last season w/ 34 hits
🔹 A career .490 hitter w/ 88 runs, 111 hits and 51 SB
🔹 Was a two-sport athlete (🥎 and 🏀)
Welcome to the 901, Mia! #GoTigersGo pic.twitter.com/t2DBgWGPyd
Greenzweig comes to Memphis from Arlington, Texas and Mansfield Summit High School. As a two-sport athlete, Greenzweig has earned letters in softball and basketball. She is a two-time First-Team All-District selection as well as the Most Valuable Defensive Player in her district.
Last season, Greenzweig finished with a .531 batting average with 34 hits, 11 RBIs, four triples, two home runs and 13 stolen bases. For her career, she is a .490 hitter with 88 runs scored, 111 hits, 51 stolen bases and four home runs.
During her time at Mansfield Summit, Greenzweig posted a .597 batting average which was the highest batting average at her high school.
She is a member of the Impact Gold Jimmy Middlebrook 84-18U team where she helped lead her squad to a 25-12-1 overall record. In club ball, Greenzweig has posted a .667 batting average, a .750 on-base percentage and a 1.333 slugging percentage.
Coach Poole on Greenzweig
In addition to Taylor, Mia Greenzweig is a versatile athlete with experience in the middle infield and the outfield. Mia will be a great addition who is quick with power at the plate.
Olivia Johnson
Pitcher | 5-8
Dry Prong, La. | Holy Savior Menard High School
We are thrilled to announce the 📝of Olivia Johnson from Dry Prong, Louisiana!
— Memphis Softball (@MemphisSoftball) November 14, 2019
🔹 19-6 record in the circle with a 1.69 ERA last season
🔹 292 Ks last season
🔹 Hit .477 with five home runs (21 in her career!)
Welcome to the 901, Olivia!#GoTigersGo pic.twitter.com/1eo0jKc3l7
Johnson joins the Tigers from Dry Prong, Louisiana and Holy Savior Menard High School. A dual-sport athlete, Johnson was a cross country runner in addition to a softball player. In softball, Johnson led her squad to a runner-up finish in 2016, 2018 and 2019.
Last season, Holy Savior Menard was led to a 22-11 overall record by Johnson who finished with First-Team All-District, All-Region and All-State honors. In addition to her accolades as a junior, Johnson finished with First-Team All-District, All-Region and All-State honors as a sophomore and First-Team All-District, Second-Team All-Region and Honorable Mention All-State honors as a freshman.
In the circle, Johnson finished with a 19-6 record last season with 292 strikeouts and a 1.69 ERA. At the plate, she hit .477 with five home runs. In her career, she has launched 21 home runs and has a career-high batting average of .516.
Johnson competed for the Wichita Mustangs two seasons, the Louisiana VooDoo one season and Impact Gold Middlebrook two seasons. In 2015, her club squad was the ASA Southern Nationals Champions. In 2018, her team finished in fourth place at the PGF Nationals. She carried a 2.01 ERA at the plate in club ball last season.
Coach Poole on Johnson
Olivia throws with excellent arm speed and command. She changes speeds well and has excellent work ethic. She will bring maturity and experience in being responsible for her respective teams' successes.
Emma Ponder
Utility | 5-6
Fairview, Texas | McKinney High School
Join us in welcoming Emma Ponder to the #TigerFam! Emma comes to Memphis from Fairview, Texas.
— Memphis Softball (@MemphisSoftball) November 13, 2019
🔹 Earned Second-Team honors in 6-9A
🔹 Three-time 6-6A Honorable Mention selection
🔹 Has been a Special Olympics volunteer since 2016
Welcome to the 901, Emma!#GoTigersGo pic.twitter.com/T44cYtQhey
Ponder comes to Memphis from Fairview, Texas and McKinney High School. In 2019, she earned second-team honors in 6-9A at catcher and overall is a three-time 6-6A Honorable Mention catcher.
From 2010-19, Ponder was a member of Team Mizuno Impulse before competing for Texas Glory in 2019. Her Team Mizuno Impulse won a championship during the 2016-17 season.
Last season in club ball, Ponder hit .341 with an on-base percentage of .429.
In addition to softball, Ponder is involved with her high school's Personal Training Program as well as HOSA, FCA and starting in 2016, she is a Special Olympics volunteer.
Coach Poole on Ponder
Emma has a good arm behind the plate, and she has excellent power at the plate.
Hallie Siems
Pitcher | 5-9
Stuttgart, Arkansas | Stuttgart High School
Our next Tiger we're welcoming to the #TigerFam is Hallie Siems!
— Memphis Softball (@MemphisSoftball) November 13, 2019
🔹 Dual-sport athlete w/ letters in softball & tennis
🔹 Helped lead her team to a semifinal & quarterfinal finish at state
🔹 Hurled multiple no-nos & 1⃣ perfect game.
Welcome to the 901, Hallie!#GoTigersGo pic.twitter.com/bTrlmNzEm4
Siems, a native of Stuttgart, Arkansas, comes to Memphis after leading her Stuttgart High School squad to a 27-5 overall record last season. A dual-sport athlete, Siems has lettered in tennis in addition to softball.
In softball, Siems has helped lead her teams to a semifinal and a quarterfinal finish in the state tournament. She has also been named the Rookie of the Year as a freshman and All-Conference and All-State the last three years.
Siems has thrown multiple no-hitters and one perfect game. Her career-high in strikeouts is 14 in a five-inning game. Last season, Siems struckout 273 batters in 135.1 innings pitched. She also hit .464 at the plate.
Her career statistics stand at a 1.44 ERA with 672 strikeouts in 436.2 innings pitched. She has held opponents to just a .158 batting average. At the plate, she has a career batting average of .458.
Siems has been a member of multiple club teams including the Tulsa Elite Jaramillo 18U team. Last season, she helped lead her club team to a 27-10-1 overall record.
Coach Poole on Siems
Hallie is a strong pitcher. She moves the ball well and has great arm speed. She has a good presence on the mound and excellent command of her pitches. Much like Olivia Johnson, Hallie brings maturity and experience in being responsible for her respective teams' successes.
"This entire group of student-athletes has a desire to be champions, has excellent work ethic, and are successful in the classroom," added Poole. "They will fit in with the culture we have created here at Memphis and help us continue to grow as a program."
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